1. Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of feminine cooling pads.
2. Relevant Technology
A common problem experienced by women is discomfort of the vulva, perineum, and surrounding regions. Such discomfort can have a variety of causes, including but not limited to, vaginal itching and burning as a result of infection (e.g., yeast infection), urethral pain or inflammation as a result of infection (e.g., urinary tract infection), vaginal varicosity (e.g., during pregnancy), damage to the perineum following child birth, and chronic inflammation (e.g., atopic dermatitis).
While various ways of cooling the perineum have been proposed, none have gained acceptance in the market place. Perhaps this is due to inconvenience in the mode of application and/or poor design, causing additional discomfort. If a product is inconvenient and hard to use and/or causes discomfort it will fail in the market place.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,397,315 to Patel and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0142807 to Lee et al. are examples of cooling devices for the perineum that have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,376 to Kozak discloses a flexible adhesive bandage designed to adhere to tissue immediately surrounding a wound, absorb fluid, and provide cooling. These devices have certain design aspects that limit their usefulness and effectiveness.
Accordingly, there remains a need to provide a feminine cooling pad that is designed to more comfortably and conveniently cool and provide relief to the vulva and/or adjacent regions of a woman's body.